"I never thought I'd be able to walk away," Burke, whose DWTS contract expired, told People. "But after a decade of something, it's time for me to move on and try something different, to be challenged, to feel inspired."

"I've been a part of this family for the last decade. I started when I was 20 and I'm 30 now, and I spent all of my 20s on the show, which completely changed my life. I've had a blast," she told ET's Nancy O'Dell.